Page 21 - MJC submissions

STEPS TOWARDS AN AGREED STATEMENT OF FACTS
And stipulations

3 Important Background (Continued)

3.5 Ashbourne Park
Ashbourne Park is a stylish development – built in 2006 - of 14 dwellings and is an immediate
neighbour of WH:LIC. It would be badly affected by the proposed development, both Page | 11
during the construction phase and afterwards.

 Ashbourne Park consists of 12 two and three-bedroom luxury flats and two luxury
penthouses. These are built to a very high standard in a conventional Sussex style, with
gabled windows and pitched roofs (See Figure 5: page 14);

 The park is a beautifully maintained with impressive landscaped gardens, ancient
woodland and 28 parking spaces: half of which are undercover;
 Most of the 20 residents are retired, and some are based overseas and visit Ashurst Wood
only occasionally;

There are 15 cars garaged in the park and an average in and out movement of around 30
trips a day.

4 NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK (NPPF)

4.1 Summary of Applicable Policies
Appendix B distils key points from the most relevant planning policies and procedures but
remains a work in progress and comments, corrections and additions are invited. AHL
appears to accept that the dominant policy is the Ashurst Wood Neighbourhood Plan
(AWNP). This is consistent with the objectives of the Localisation Act 2011 and NPPF to
devolve authority to town, parish and village councils.

4.2 Objectively Assessed Need (OAN)
Under the NPPF there are two critical considerations. The first is the presumption that
sustainable developments should be approved: subject to design, density and other policy
requirements. The second is an assessment of “objectively assessed need” (OAN) for any new
development.

Simply stated, developments should not be approved if there is no objectively assessed
need (OAN). There is no OAN for the proposed developments
 A sustainability study conducted in Ashurst Wood in 2015 and validated in the AWNP
specified an OAN for 62 new homes in the village between 2015 and 2031. This figure
was confirmed in March 2018 by the Mid Sussex District Plan;

 The study reported that there was a total of only 8 local families that might be looking for
accommodation in Ashurst Wood over the next 5 to 10 years. Most of these would be
rented, rather than shared ownership as proposed;
 In September 2014 there were 27 qualifying households on the council house register;
only 8 of which listed the parish as their first choice.

There is not a “desperate need” for housing in the village and especially for shared
ownership.